This easy steak marinade makes any cut of meat taste restaurant-worthy. With just a few pantry staples, your steak will be juicy, tender, and packed with flavor.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Steak Marinade
This quick and easy marinade packs big flavor and turns any cut of steak into a juicy, tender meal with almost no effort.
- Perfect for grilling, cast iron, or broiling
- Balanced flavor that doesn’t overpower the meat
- Made with common pantry ingredients
- Ready in 5 minutes—just mix and pour
- Helps tenderize tough or budget-friendly cuts
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- Soy sauce – Adds umami and saltiness. Use low sodium if needed, or swap with tamari or coconut aminos for a gluten-free option.
- Lemon juice – The acidity helps break down tough fibers in the meat. You can also use pineapple juice for a slightly sweeter flavor and even more tender steak.
- Olive oil – Helps carry flavor and adds moisture.
- Worcestershire sauce – Gives a deep, savory kick that enhances the beef’s natural flavor.
Seasonings & Spices
- Minced garlic – Fresh is best, but jarred will work in a pinch.
- Garlic powder – Doubles up the garlic flavor for depth.
- Onion powder – Adds subtle sweetness and roundness.
- Italian seasoning – A balanced herb blend that complements the meat.
- Ground black pepper – For warmth and a slight bite.
- Red pepper flakes – Optional, but great if you want a little heat.
- Salt – Essential for seasoning the meat (add more to taste when cooking).
For Serving
- Ribeye steaks – This marinade works beautifully with ribeyes, but it’s also great on sirloin, NY strip, flank steak, and more. (See the FAQ for cut-specific marinating times.)
- Butter – A pat on top after cooking adds rich flavor.
- Fresh parsley – For garnish and a pop of color.
- Sea salt – Optional finishing touch.
See the full recipe card below for exact amounts and step-by-step instructions.
How to Make This Easy Steak Marinade
- Make The Marinade: In a small mixing bowl whisk together the soy sauce, lemon juice, olive oil, worcestershire sauce, garlic, and all the spices and seasonings.
- Marinate The Steaks: Place the steaks in a large resealable plastic bag or baking dish. Pour the marinade over steaks and flip to coat all sides. Seal the bag or cover the pan with plastic wrap. Marinate in the fridge for 2-4 hours or overnight.
- Cook: Allow the steak to come to room temperature. Season the steak with sea salt, then cook and sear in a cast iron skillet or grill pan on medium heat for 3-4 minutes per side.
- Test The Temperature: Reduce heat to medium low and continue to cook, flipping every 3 minutes until the internal temperature reaches the desired doneness using a meat thermometer:
- Remove And Rest: Place the cooked steaks on a cutting board and tent with foil for 5 minutes.
- Serve: Top each steak with a pat of butter and fresh chopped parsley and serve with grilled potatoes, grilled corn on the cob, and a delicious pasta salad. Enjoy!
How To grill your steaks
- Prepare The Grill: Preheat the grill and allow your steaks to come to room temperature. Clean the grill grates and adjust burners so they are all evenly lit and burning.
- Cook: Place steaks on the grill and season with salt. Cook for 3-4 minutes with lid closed, flip the steak over to a new hot part of the grill, and cook with lid closed for another 3-4 minutes.
- Test The Temperature: Continue to cook with the lid closed, checking every 2 minutes until you reach your desired internal temperature.
Tips for Cooking Marinated Ribeye Steaks
- Grill or Pan-Sear: Ribeye is great on a hot outdoor grill or cast iron pan. Grill over high heat for 4–5 minutes per side, or sear inside in a hot pan until you get a beautiful brown crispy crust, and juicy, tender insides.
- Avoid Grill Flare-Ups: Pat the steaks dry before grilling to reduce excess marinade that can cause flare-ups.
- Prevent Sticking in Cast Iron: If your skillet is new or not fully seasoned, add ½ tbsp olive oil before searing.
- Let It Rest: After cooking, rest the steak for 5–10 minutes. This allows juices to redistribute and accounts for carryover cooking, which can raise the temp by 5°F.
- Why This Meat Loves Marinade: Ribeye’s rich fat content soaks up flavor beautifully, so you don’t need an overly acidic marinade—just one that complements its natural juiciness.
- Cut Against the Grain: For tender bites, always slice the steak against the grain after resting.
How to Store Marinade and Leftover Steak
- In The Refrigerator: This marinade will stay fresh, covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- In The Freezer: You can freeze your marinade for up to 2 months in a freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Best Sides to Serve with Steak
- Green Beans with Feta Cheese
- Twice Baked Potatoes
- Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Tomato Cucumber Avocado Salad
- Campfire Potatoes
If you tried this Steak Marinade Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!!
Best Steak Marinade Recipe
Serves — 4
This homemade steak marinade can turn any cut of steak into a flavorful, melt-in-your-mouth masterpiece. Perfect for grilling or pan-searing.
Cook Time 14 minutes
Marinating Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp italian seasonings
- ⅛ tsp red pepper flakes
- 4 tbsp cold butter cut into 1 tbsp pats
- 4 rib eye steaks
- Finely chopped parsley for garnish
- Sea Salt to taste *optional
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl combine soy sauce, lemon juice, olive oil, worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, ground black pepper, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasonings, and red pepper flakes.⅓ cup soy sauce, ⅓ cup lemon juice, ½ cup olive oil, ¼ cup worcestershire sauce, 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tsp ground black pepper, ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tbsp italian seasonings, ⅛ tsp red pepper flakes
- Add steaks to a large gallon sized ziplock bag or 9×13 baking dish. Pour marinade over steaks and flip over to coat all sides of the steak. Close the zip lock bag, or cover the 9×13 with plastic wrap. Marinate for 2-4 hours, or overnight for the best flavor.NOTE: If marinating overnight make sure to turn steaks over half way through the marinating process.4 rib eye steaks
- When you are ready to cook your steaks make sure to pull them out of the refrigerator, and out of the marinade 20-30 minutes before cooking. Place them on a cutting board while you are heating your cast iron skillet. This will result in a better cooked steak that is juicy and melts in your mouth.
- After your steak comes to room temperature, place the cast iron skillet over medium heat on the stove top. Bring the skillet up to temperature before adding meat.NOTE: If your cast iron skillet isn’t “seasoned”, or is on the newer side, add 1⁄2 tbsp olive oil before placing steaks into the skillet. This will prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the cast iron skillet.
- Place each steak in the cast iron skillet and season with sea salt. Allow each steak to cook and sear on each side for 3-4 minutes. Watch so they don’t burn. Flip over and repeat.Sea Salt to taste
- Reduce heat to medium low and continue to cook, flipping every 3 minutes until the internal temperature reaches the desired temperature using meat thermometer.NOTE: Cast Iron Skillets take time to cool down, that’s why it’s important not to turn up the heat higher than medium. Cooking the steak at medium low after it is seared will allow for it to cook slower without burning. The cast iron skillet will still be hot enough to effectively cook the steak even at a lower temperature.
- When the steaks are done cooking remove to a cutting board and tent with foil for 5 minutes. This will allow the steak to re-distribute the juices so they don’t run out of the meat when cut it.
- Top each steak with a pat of butter and fresh chopped parsley and serve!4 tbsp cold butter, Finely chopped parsley for garnish
Jenn’s Notes
Internal Temperatures:
- RARE STEAK: 120-130 degrees
- MEDIUM RARE STEAK: 130-135 degrees
- MEDIUM STEAK: 135-145 degrees
- MEDIUM WELL: 145-155 degrees
- WELL DONE: 155 degrees and up
- If you don’t have fancy marinade containers, just use a baggie! Works just as well!
- Cooking room temperature meat will result in a better cooked steak that is juicy and melts in your mouth.
- However you cook your steak, be sure to let it rest for at least 5 minutes for the juices to redistribute throughout the steak. You want all the flavor to remain inside the meat instead of on your plate.
- For tender bites of steak it’s essential that it be cut against the grain when slicing.
- If grilling your steak, patting it dry to remove excess marinade will prevent flare-ups on the grill.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 851kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 70g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 168mg | Sodium: 1760mg | Potassium: 854mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 441IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 6mg
Originally published May 24, 2019
It came out wayy too sweet and I strongly dislike sweet steak. It should be hearty and flavorful not just sweet. I followed this recipe to a T, and no where did it say it was going to be sweet. Extremely dissapointed, I didn’t even get to eat after that first bite 😡😩
I absolutely love everything about your site. You are my go to cookbook. You are so informative. I learned about you through my grandaughter.
You might want to check the ingredient list because they aren’t showing up. They do on the recipe card but not within the article. Just a bunch of dots.
YIKES – my site went down this weekend and some pages got messed up. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know! ❤️
Can i use apple cider vinegar instead of balsamic vinegar?
Hi Marj, I have never tried that, but I would think it would totally change the taste of the recipe. Honestly, I would stick with balsamic.
Marge asked about balsamic vinegar however there was no balsamic vinegar in the ingredient list correct or am I missing something?
Kerry, that was an old version, we since updated the recipe.
I have followed your recipes for this bit of cake, the results are wonderful, everyone in my family complimented it very well
A very delicious recipe, thanks for it, my wife loves meat, especially steaks, so when I cooked her a steak for her recipe, she was just ecstatic! And I really love these steaks, because they are not difficult to cook, and they contain a large number of calories. Tell me please, how can you make this meat even tastier? Which sauce is better to add to it? Because I had only BBQ sauce at hand, it was delicious, but it seems to me that you could do even more delicious, I want to ask your advice, what do you say to this?